Former President Trump to hold rally in Bozeman

Former President Donald Trump will attend a campaign event in Bozeman on Friday, Aug. 9, alongside Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tim Sheehy, a spokesperson for the county and Sheehy confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

Sheehy confirmed the president’s upcoming visit in a video he posted to the social media site X.

“We’re so happy to welcome President Trump back to Montana once again. He’s here to campaign alongside us. We’re grateful for that, because he knows how important it is we flip this seat so we can put the America First agenda back in the fast track, get this country fixed, and save America,” Sheehy said in the video.

The Trump campaign confirmed Thursday morning the event would be held at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9 at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman. Doors for the event will open at 4 p.m.

While the Trump and Sheehy campaigns did not immediately respond to questions about details of the event on Wednesday, Gallatin County spokesperson Whitney Bermes said Wednesday afternoon the sheriff’s office had been planning for “a safe and peaceful event” and were working with other local and state law enforcement.

Bermes said the sheriff’s office would be meeting with the Trump campaign later this week to “firm up” plans for the event.

Montana Talks radio host Aaron Flint first reported earlier Wednesday Trump and Sheehy would be hosting an event in Bozeman at 8 p.m., on Aug. 9. Emails requesting details sent to Sheehy’s campaign and a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee were not immediately returned Wednesday afternoon.

The former president’s endorsement of Sheehy in early February was key in the first-time politician’s bid to face U.S. Sen. Jon Tester – Montana’s lone statewide elected Democrat – in November.

It came just hours after Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Montana, announced he would face the NRSC-backed Sheehy, who had already secured endorsements from Gov. Greg Gianforte, NRSC chair and U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana, and U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, and led to Rosendale dropping out of the race just days later.

“Tim is the candidate who is currently best-positioned to DEFEAT Lazy Jon Tester, and Regain the Republican Majority in the United States Senate,” Trump’s endorsement said of Sheehy, in part. “Tim is a Political Outsider, Strong on the Border, the Military/Vets, and our constantly under siege Second Amendment. He will stand tall in the fight against the Radical Left Democrats, who are Destroying our Country. Also, he is far more likely to Defeat Lazy Jon. America First Patriot Tim Sheehy has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Trump is widely popular in most of Montana; he won the state in 2020 by more than 16 percentage points over Joe Biden, and beat Hillary Clinton here by more than 20 percentage points in 2016.

Sheehy is trying to keep Tester from securing a fourth term in the U.S. Senate as the NRSC tries to take back the Senate majority this November, and Montana’s seat is key to that happening.

Trump visited Montana four times during the 2018 campaign to support Rosendale as he tried to unseat Tester, including a Bozeman visit days before the election. Tester would end up beating Rosendale by about 3.5 percentage points.

This year’s visit would be former President Trump’s first visit to Montana during this election cycle, but his son Donald Trump Jr. spoke at a rally in Missoula in late April alongside Sheehy, Gianforte and Zinke.

A Trump appearance in Montana would also likely present a hearty fundraising opportunity for Sheehy and Montana Republicans, as Tester held about three times as much cash as Sheehy to start July.

After Trump endorsed Sheehy in April, Sheehy said in a statement that he and the people of Montana stood proudly behind Trump: “Thank you, Mr. President. Let’s MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.!”